Our history
"I MAY BE STUPID......BUT THAT IS NOT A CALF!"
Those are the words that started it all! Welcome to DKH Destiny Farm, where we have raised quality dairy goats since 2001. In the early winter of 2001 I went to the local livestock auction, to buy some calves, and I fell in love with an Alpine dairy goat (Tifdoroyal Licorice Lameya) that went through the ring, with papers....... of course bred by something. Later we purchased a Nubian doe and kid from Don and Sandy Miller of Firebird Nubians and another Alpine doe (Khamsin I Can Two) from Bobbi McFaddan of Ebony -Rose. ...Well needless to say, one goat has turned into a whole herd.
DKH Destiny Farm is owned by Dean and Kimberly Hellums and is located just outside of Middleton Idaho near Caldwell Idaho, it is an ever changing 6.6 acres. Our daughter, Amanda, as a teenager had her own dairy goat herd consisting of Alpine, Lamancha, Nubian and Recorded Grades, as well as a herd of quality Boer goats. Amanda had the job to "tame" all the kids, which she loves.
In 2007, she acquired her own her name, Dusk2Dawn Farm, and has continued to raise primarily Recorded Grades and Lamanchas. Amanda married her husband, Kyler, in 2017 and although they now live in California, they continue to have their animals at home in Idaho.
Our bloodlines include the ever popular; Waiilatpu, Hoach's, Tifdoroyal, Tempo Aquila, Thunder Ridge Nubians, Ludwigs, and Winterwoods to name a few.
I have been involved with dairy goats since 1980 during 4-H, with a long break until 1991, when my son, Justin, needed the milk as a baby. Then another long break until 2001 and the infamous "sale". Dean, my husband has been my greatest asset and support; He has been a great sport in this whole process, never having been involved with goats, he has been very helpful.
In 2005, our first show year, we had a herd management problem. I could not find the right "mix" to keep the does in show shape while milking. Many people gave numerous suggestions, which I am thankful for but after throwing good money hand over fist I went back to what I know best, how to fit a competitive halter horse. So free choice minerals, soda, hay pellets, beet pellets, quality hay and pasture are available to all goats on the place. The does are given whole oats at milking time with a few natural additives that I learned fitting halter horses.
2007 was a much better year, we only showed at one local show and then headed off to Nationals. Amanda, my mom, Charlene, and I made the long drive with three dogs and 7 goats. Our does did very will; DKH Destiny WG She'stinkerbell placed 20th out of 43 milking 2 year old Alpines, DKH Destiny London Bridges placed 6th in the yearling Recorded Grade milkers, DKH Destiny Blondie Babe placed 19th in the 2 year old Recorded Grade, DKH Destiny W Funni Sunni placed 6th in the intermediate Recorded Grade.
2008 and 2009 has been a learning time for us, having found out what does NOT work with our Alpine bloodlines, we have had to pretty much start over, dispursing many nice but frail animals.
During the time between 2010 and 2012, I have taken a break from showing and all the politics that all go with showing but Amanda has been doing very, very well in the show ring. We started selling raw goats milk to individuals and have just recently placed it in one small family owned market place. I can not keep it on the shelf, it also helps that we milk year round while most dry up in September.
I have learned a very valuable lesson about "free goats", "just helping a friend out" and "that works for me".
Our complete revamp of the Alpine lines, using Gavin as our foundation, choosing different types of does and what is behind them has really made a difference. Linear appraisal and the classes offered at convention has really helped. Now I just need to get Amanda to stop wanting to keep EVERY baby that is born on the place (that was 84 last year...bad thought!)
I had almost completely gotten rid of the Nubians that were given to us, very nice Thunder-Ridge herd animals as well as the ones that were purchased, I thought that Nubians were not for me, until the 2012 birth of our "new" generation of Nubians. I only wish that I had found the Apple Valley type of animals in the past and that they crossed really well on the "starter" herd that I had. I, along with Naomi Counides, have purchased the "Apple Valley" semen tank that Gary White recently dispersed. I am so excited to start my Nubians over again, this time "my way".
We continue to CAE test.
We test and vaccinate for CL. Most of our milking animals have been tested for Johneese, TB, Brucellosis and Q-Fever. We offer testing on all of our animals that we sell for whatever a person wants to test for, U of Washington has a really nice BIO-Security test package that includes all of the above tests. I have milk records from 2011, I did not get them submitted to ADGA but I have the lab pages, if a person is interested in that.